1990 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon

Community Tasting Notes

Community Tasting Notes (7) Avg Score: 91.6 points

  • Drinking well for a 30 year old California cab, but not much life left. Strained and decanted for a brief time.

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  • Great shape for 29 years!

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  • Top half of cork was disintegrated and lower half was completely firm which in its way describes this wine, Opened at last minute as second bottle for dinner. Decanted. Low sediment and low crystals. First hour of decant was menthol and eucalyptus which took me back to my late 1980's trips to Napa. It smelled of the area around Stags Leap so vividly, that still the next day, I could not get it out of my head. Once in the mouth, the wine gave a clearly different tasting profile. All fruit, berries with smoothness. Any firm tannins of its youth were gone.
    After 1 hour decant, the eucalyptus and mint blew off. A fine old school, yet fresh young wine presented itself on the nose. A pleasant nose of fruit (berries, some cherry) presented. Worth noting, that visibly there was not sign of age on my pour. No brown or orange tint. Based on previous notes, I thought that this wine would be past due, but clearly not. This wine was an unexpected pleasure for being 26-27 years old.

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  • Medium garnet-red color, watery-edged. Mints and cherry leap out of the glass aromatically, hints of eucalyptus oil, cedar. On arrival, low tannin and low acidity. Flavors match the nose entirely, with cocoa powder added. Finishes smooth, lovely, easy, toothless. Some barrels from Martha's Vyd (young vines, replanted) made their presence known here. Bottle #12 of twelve.

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  • At 20 years old, this bottle was everything it was intended to be. Great nose. Tasty, but not profound. Very satisfying for the Napa bottling.

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  • Damn if this wasn't just a beautiful bottle! LP always brings an old bottle of Heitz to the annual wine group picnic--he has generously brought old Martha's vineyard and Bella oaks in the past.

    The "90" is just a champ! Sweet fruits, underbrush and damp earth were evident--I would have guessed and old ST Julian by the nose and flavor profile. A beauty that can cellar the rest of this decade.

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  • Tasted at a beach barbecue at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. Bottle provided by Jim Irwin. Bright disc. Opaque garnet robe with brick/orange rim. Clean nose, showing a very intense, complex bouquet of cigar box, mint, plum, coffee, leather and kirsch. The nose could not be denied despite the beach setting (which is clearly not conducive to critical tasting). Full-bodied on the palate, with melted tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Long, smooth finish. Surprisingly lovely at this point and fully mature, this wine has enough residual fruit to ensure enjoyment for another five years or so.

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